Frater, Ave Atque Vale
by Ambiguous Rose
Summary: His eyes soften. “I am sorry, Sam.” Dean has surrendered and it is the most terrible thing Sam has ever seen. Dean consents as a last resort. Spoilers for 5.1


**Frater, Ave Atque Vale**

**Summary: **His eyes soften. "I am sorry, Sam." Dean has surrendered and it is the most terrible thing Sam has ever seen. Dean consents as a last resort. Spoilers for 5.1

**A/N: **I watched the season premier last night and this popped into my head. That was a really awesome episode, by the way.

**A/N2: **I've never written anything quite in this way before… I hope it isn't terrible. Please review!

**Disclaimer: **I really, really wish I owned Supernatural. That would be awesome.

*~*~*~*

They're dying now, sprawled across the room, he can tell that for sure as his vision _blackensdarkensfails_ a little around the edges. Bobby is against the wall, another stab wound in his stomach and he is _bleedingdyinggroaning. _Jo is half on a table, half off, but he isn't sure if she is _deadgone _or just unconscious. Ellen is watching the fallen angel with eyes filled with the blood that has dripped from her head, as she props herself against a chair, her legs broken. Sam is_ clutchinggrabbingholding_a tall blood-splattered curtain, his own blood pooling on the floor at his feet. Castiel has had his wings ripped off feather by feather and is tethered to the wall, half-dead, but awake. Dean is laying on the ground, clutching his stomach, fully at the mercy of the Devil himself.

Lucifer is watching them all, his eyes _goldenredfire, _and he has a content and amused expression on his face as he watches Dean _moaningwrithingtwisting_ in pain as he coughs up blood. Sam can barely see what's going on, though in the silence of the room every sound seems like it is an echoing call; every _groanmoanwhimper _seems shouted.

Lucifer is watching them all with a twisted smile on his face and his teeth are _whiteferalterrifying. _He pulls back his leg again and kicks Dean's middle section again and when it _collidescotacts _Sam is sure he hears the crack of ribs_._ The youngest Winchester isn't sure how his brother is going to _lastlivesurvive _anymore. He has taken twice the beating of the others in order to keep them safe.

But this is _Dean _and Sam is sure that he can take plenty more.

But he is wrong: Dean is done. "Do it," the elder brother says through lips that are _rippedtornbloodyred _and his voice is _tonelessdead, _and Sam knows distantly that this is the tone of someone who has given up. "If you need my damn consent so fucking bad, then just do it. Here. It. Is." His voice is dead and his words are short.

Sam sees that his brother's shoulders are _slumpedresigned _and he has a distant idea who Dean is talking to.

"What do you mean?" Lucifer leans down to observe the man, his brows drawn in curiosity. "Who are you talking to?" he demands of the hunter.

Dean doesn't respond to him, but instead calls again. "Just do it already!" his voice rising in _painangerannoyance._ A pause and then a weak moan, "_Save them."_

His answer comes almost immediately and there is _lightradianceair _and it blinds Sam and cools the fire that had been dancing across his skin. Lucifer _shoutsscreamscries _in pain as the light overtakes him and the other hunters in the room.

When the light dissipates, Dean is standing, his back tall and his voice terrible. "Hello, brother."

Sam wants to close his eyes; Dean has surrendered and it is the most terrible thing he has ever seen. He hears Castiel's surprised raspy gasp of "Michael" and opens his eyes as Lucifer takes a horrified step back.

"No," Lucifer says, his voice _appalledshockedterrified. _"It can't be."

The-Man-Who-Was-Once-Dean looks at Lucifer, and his back is to Sam. "It is," he states simply. "Apage Satanas." Sam closes his eyes to the scene, but the image will be forever burned behind his eyes. The picture of a sword of fire appearing in his brother's hand will haunt him until the end of his days. Despite his eyes being shut, the _whitelightredfire_ that is the two most powerful angels, one Fallen, one Honored, facing against each other burns through his eyelids sears into his memory.

There is a scream of _agonyanguishtorment_ and Sam knows that when he looks again one of them will be gone. He fears to open his eyes, because he knows that no matter who wins, he has lost his brother.

When he finally opens his eyes again, Lucifer has gone from the room and the body he had stolen-Nick- has disappeared. His brother's back is to him as he leans over Jo's prone figure. The sword he had been wielding moments before is gone as well, and Sam knows it has gone back to the place it belongs.

The younger Winchester has long since collapsed to the floor, after his grip on the curtain slipped. He watches his brother move over to Ellen and Bobby after leaning over Jo. She sits up slowly, her eyes wide with _shockterrorsurprise. _Ellen and Bobby are watching Dean- Michael- as he leans over them, placing his hands on their heads, a bright, white light flowing from his hands. Jo is staring at the angel, her eyes confused and her mouth opens and closes soundlessly a few times.

Finished healing the other hunters, Michael walks over to where his _angelbrother_is tethered and slowly unties the knots that hold Castiel to the wall. The angel watches him, idolizing, like the younger brother he is. As soon as the bonds are free Michael puts his hand to Castiel's back and _brilliantterrifying _wings appear for several seconds, called back from the place they went when Lucifer pulled them off feather by feather, and then disappear as they usually do.

He, Sam, is last on the archangel's list. Sam notices that Michael does not look him in the eye while he puts his hands- Dean's hands- on his head and heals the wounds that Lucifer inflicted. The warmth that seeps its way through his body as his injuries fix themselves causes him to close his eyes for a moment. When he opens them again he notices that there is a tired set to his brother's shoulder that is understandable.

Michael moves away from him quickly, as if being near his vessel's brother is painful. He gazes once around, locking eyes with no one, and the silence in the room is deafening. He seems as if he is going to leave and this _killshurts _Sam to his very _soulheartcore. _The hunter breaks the silence before his brother leaves him forever. "Is… is it… done?" he whispers in askance, his eyes pleading with the angel to leave his brother's body.

Michael responds with Dean's voice. "It is."

Sam blinks against the _painagony _of what he must ask next. "And… my brother?"

The angel in his brother's body turns to face him, and meet his eyes for the first time. The face is Dean. The eyes are Michael, though they look similar to Lucifer's. They are _redfiregoldpower _and they smolder as he watches him. "Exitus acta probot," he states quietly. His eyes soften from _redfiregoldpower _to a _redgoldsympathy. _"I am sorry, Sam."

Sam blinks back tears that threaten to fall and when he opens them Michael-Who-Will-Never-Be-Dean-Again is gone and Castiel has disappeared with him.

In the place where his brother had been standing a solitary white feather floats to the floor.

**Finis. **

**Translations:** _Frater, Ave Atque Vale_: Brother, hail and farewell

_Apage Satanas: _Be gone Satan

_Exitus acta probot: _The end justifies the means


End file.
